Santeri decides to become a monk in Thailand and to give up everything he has in Finland. His sister and the director of the documentary Anja Ahola, wants to understand her brother’s great decision to leave behind his possessions, friends and family and to become an ascetic Buddhist monk for the rest of his life.

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

I have talked with Thai monks who are about the same age as you and I and they have been ordained as novices when they where only 12 years old and then after turning 20 as bhikkhus. They have all the 9 levels of Pali studies finished.

"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

Ytrog wrote:Btw, are you going to change your account name to your new name?

Ytrog,

Because I have ordained one time before I have a previous Pali name(Vicayo) that some people from WPN still use. Tan Ajahn Anan gave me a new Pali name(Thanavuddho) when I re-ordained. I used that name in the beginning but most people still called me Tan Santeri anyway.

Most monks in WMJ use their civil name instead of the Pali name. And I am fine with that and I think I will stick with Tan Santeri. Some people call me "Tan Shanti" or "Vich" or "Krooba San".

Then again in formal situation the name is Tan Santeri Thanavuddho Bhikkhu

Thanks for sharing this experience, your sister has done a great job in capturing this in such an honest and open way, I really enjoyed watching it and it has strengthed my resolve to ordainMettaRichard

Just watched the film last night and really loved it. I am curious why you choose the monastery you did instead of returning to wat pah nanachat? The reason I ask is because I am interested in ordaining and am trying to decided where to go.

I currently don't have an regular access to the internet. If someone wants the link&password, you can ask my sister.

Hello Moth,

Moth wrote:Just watched the film last night and really loved it. I am curious why you choose the monastery you did instead of returning to wat pah nanachat? The reason I ask is because I am interested in ordaining and am trying to decided where to go.

Main reason is Tan Ajahn Anan who is the abbot of Wat Marp Jan. I had faith in him as a teacher. WPN and WMJ are both branch monasteries of Wat Non Pah Pong in the tradition of Luang Por Chah.